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NextVR and Live Nation are getting pretty good at covering concerts in VR compared to others, and now they're amping up their ambitions. In partnership with Citi, they'll broadcast the Global Citizen Festival live in VR from New York's Central Park on September 23rd, with performances by The Chainsmokers, The Lumineers, Big Sean, Alessia Cara and others. They're also presenting "Backstage with Citi," with access to artists, bands and producers not available to concert-goers.

Virtual reality still can't compete with the real thing, but thanks to its use of 6K RED cinema cameras and cutting edge VR production tech, Next VR has generally won over critics. It launched a partnership with Live Nation last year, and the companies have already broadcast concerts by Coldplay, Anthrax and others. NextVR has also collaborated with the NBA, broadcasting free highlights and selling VR games by subscription and à la carte.

73 year old country singer Willie Nelson and four members from his band were charged with drug possession after marijuana and magic mushrooms were found by police on his tour bus. Police had stopped the tour bus near Lafayette, Louisiana.

Elvis Presley attended a meeting in Memphis with his manager Bob Neal, Colonel Tom Parker and Vernon Presley, at which a new contract was signed that named Colonel Parker as "special advisor" with control of virtually every aspect of Elvis' career. Parker was not really a Colonel at all, but a Dutch immigrant named Andreas Cornelius van Kujik, whose honorary title was given to him in 1948 by Governor Jimmie Davis of Louisiana. He was a flamboyant promoter whose pre-Elvis experience included shows called The Great Parker Pony Circus and Tom Parker And His Dancing Turkeys and was a veteran of carnivals, medicine shows and various other entertainment enterprises.

We could not be more excited that our neighbors from Vermont, Phish, are playing a historic 13-night run of shows — dubbed the “The Baker’s Dozen” — at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This calls for a real celebration, and since we already have Phish Food to enjoy, we thought we’d honor the band with a new very Limited Batch donut-themed flavor: Freezer Reprise.

The flavor, sweet cream ice cream with a vanilla glaze, chocolate donut swirl, chocolate donut pieces, and fudge fish, will be available at the opening night of the run, July 21st, at an event just outside Madison Square Garden and on August 6th at a special webcast of the concert at Three Needs Taproom & Brewery in Burlington, VT. So start making your plans, because this flavor won’t last long!

To commemorate this special flavor, we’ve partnered with artist Jim Pollock to create a limited edition t-shirt. This t-shirt will be available for a limited time at the WaterWheel Foundation inside Madison Square Garden during the 13-night run of shows, as well as right here on our own site.

All proceeds from donations for the flavor and sales of the limited edition t-shirt will benefit the WaterWheel Foundation, Phish’s charitable organization.

The Rolling Stones kicked off their biggest ever US tour at Louisiana State University. The tour would take in 45 shows in 26 cities. Guitarist Ronnie Wood joined The Stones on tour for the first time, replacing Mick Taylor.

The wonderful feature of living in the Bayou St. John neighborhood is that you can walk or ride your bike along the peaceful bayou – and then, once a year, you can just walk yourself over to Jazz Fest –…
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It’s not easy to upstage hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg, especially at one of his own shows. But after his New Orleans Jazz Festival performance, it’s a video of a sign language interpreter, not the rapper himself, that has gone viral,…
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Following the previous night’s deluge and a surprise shower in the morning, proper footwear was essential Thursday at the 2017 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Waterproof boots – shrimp or hiking – were the sensible choice.
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The second weekend of the 2017 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is even more overloaded with nighttime options than the previous weekend. Things quiet down a bit after the festival ends, but this being New Orleans, there's still music…
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Throughout his prolific, decades-long career, Don Was, a bassist by trade, has produced dozens of albums by the likes of the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Aaron Neville, the B-52s and his own band, Was…
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At suppertime Saturday, the lines at the 2017 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival’s food booths were short. Just about everybody, it seemed, was stationed at one of the three main stages for a strong trifecta of closing acts: Alabama…
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Beverly Fountain, Pete Fountain’s widow, leaned over and planted a kiss on the portrait of her husband unveiled Saturday in the “Ancestors” area of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival grounds.
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Late in his closing set on the 2017 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival's opening day, Harry Connick Jr. once again reiterated his hometown bonafides. He recalled being tutored as a boy by eccentric, troubled New Orleans piano genius James…
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Once you accept that you are going to miss Jazz Fest, you are going to have to deal with Fest withdrawals. These can range from headaches in the form of "why aren't you going to Jazz Fest" questions to intense cravings for crawfish bread and spontaneous dancing at awkward times.

Here are some top tips to deal with Fest withdrawals – you can do it! First time missing Fest? Remember you have a lot of people who care about you and are here to help.

Immerse yourself in WWOZ and good food then taper off slowly.

If your body has been so used to the abuse you give it at the end of April and beginning of May, don't go cold turkey. Around the beginning of April start catching a lot of music. Eat obscene amounts of food. Taper down gradually until First Friday. Going cold turkey may be too much of a shock to your system for you to be able to control your inner Festivalist.

Start by cutting down the variety of music. This may seem extreme but starting with that will make your other changes easier to make. Cut down portion sizes and spices. Remember, gradually is the key.

Do Something Else. Read an Ikea assembly guide. Roll newspapers into logs. Hang out at a pet shelter.

Occupy yourself at times when you would normally be dancing and craving Cissy Strut. Go out at night, without sunglasses. Go to sleep—before sunrise. Refocus your energy into something productive. Refinish your floors. Clean out the refrigerator.

Drink Water. Okay, too drastic, you can skip this step for now.

Sometimes you might think you have a craving, but it turns out to be gas. Allowing ourselves long periods of silence could lead to cravings. Make sure you keep music playing, and carry music with you at all times, even if it's a best of The Beatles mix.

Keep a range of healthy snacks available to you. Just in case. Don't cook up jambalaya or think a boil will get you through this. Find something that is healthy, and make small portions. Don't start a hot sauce or poboy debate online.

If you are really feeling the pressure, find a few people you are comfortable with and see if they'd help you and do the Alligator and chant the Watermellon song.

Make sure your friends and loved ones are aware of what is going on as you face this mountain. It can be very hard and you may be moody and also feeling abandoned, so the support of someone can be crucial.

Remember that the First Friday is the hardest. The dread will subside by Second Sunday.

If you’ve been to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival a few times, you probably already have your favorite dishes. Plenty of people know exactly what they’ll get when they walk into the Fair Grounds and beeline to those…
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It wasn’t long after they were married that Nurhan Gokturk and Bridget Cameron started looking for a place to buy. Both thought they wanted to live Uptown — until the price point scared them off.
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As a Lafayette teenager in the early 1970s, visual artist Francis X. Pavy fell under the spell of pioneering New Orleans funk band the Meters. While still in high school, he saw multiple performances, and Meters records were around the…
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Cuba has become more accessible in recent years, yet the country remains a mystery to most Americans. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival offers guests the chance to explore Cuba’s art, music and food at the Cultural Exchange Pavilion…
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The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival goes on for seven days. But “Jazz Fest" has become more like its own season in New Orleans, one that's full of events that stretch the party beyond the Fair Grounds and across…
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